Breaking Loose
by Azavara D'mattiae
Summary: Ten years ago, Starr Auroras left Jack Sparrow to die at the gallows, now he's back and it's not just revenge he wants: rated R for later chapters.
1. This is Me

A/N- I'm obsessive compulsive and Pirates of the Caribbean will take my aggressions away.

Disclaimer- I do not own anything but the monsters of my own creation. Starr Auroras and The Red Roiben plot are mine, Jack Sparrow and all else is not.

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-This is Me-

My name is Starr.

Where I live cannot be accounted for. Where I sleep, people would rather slit your throat than ask questions. Where I belong is with thieves, murderers, buccaneers, and crooks. Murderers are my siblings. Buccaneers and crooks, in a sense, my mothers. The only father I have is a king….King of Thieves. Thieves are my kindred, my solace, my only heart. I am a thief…. I am _not_, however, a murderer, I have never been a petty crook; and a buccaneer or pirate, as they are called, is too great a dream to achieve. As of now I am a member of The Red Roiben, a thief guild of notorious claim.

Only the best achieve rank here, only the most stealthy of knaves and the most wicked of Spys gain entrance; I am one of them. The Rogue himself has trained me as his replacement , I am (almost) the most revered and respected of The Rogue's "children" and I have been captured.

By what? You may ask- by what, exactly. His name is infamous, his toils legend, his failures…many….

Jack Sparrow.

A ghost I'd hoped never to see again.


	2. Chapter One: Trouble is my name

A/N- Starr Auroras is my hero, you'll see why this chapter, I swear it.

Disclaimer- yet again, yet again, I own only the monsters of my creation.

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Chapter One: Trouble is my name

Starr Auroras sat on the ledge of a tavern roof watching legions of British naval ships roll into port. "Bloody Englishmen, think they own the Keys." growled Kamarrato, Starr grinned up at him, "They do." Kamarrato rolled his eyes, "Not m'point, Starr, what I meant is, they 'ave no right treating 'onest citizens as filth!" Starr flashed Kam her most endearing smile, "Kam, are ye saying yer 'onest?" Kam stuttered, choking on his own tongue, "I…I'm an 'onest thief, Starr, I ony steal from those that deserve it." Starr gave his arm a bruising pat, and then tripped, throwing herself down the building , her long, mottled brown cloak whirling behind her.

She landed with a hollow thud on a steel cart, causing the steel to roll off, knocking into a chicken coop, releasing the chickens, scaring a group of passing horses that then proceeded to stampede down the street into the market; ruining peddling goods and food, also irritating the already disgruntled shopkeepers, that then made a run to the Governor, who complied to the complaints and called out the guards….

Meanwhile, Starr sat brushing dust from her clothing in the midst of the chaos, chickens clucking around her feet, mud splashed into her face.

"Great, " she grumbled, "well at least nothings broken…" she then noticed the mess around her, "well…at least I'm not broken." Kam yelled down to her: "Yer in some trubble, Starr, Kingsmen coming." her brows furrowed and she yelled back, "Kam, trouble is me name. I live for it, I envy it-" a group of guards leered up behind her as she continued, "I'd do anything in me power to-"

"You're under arrest."

Starr paled, and turned around slowly to face the Port Royal officer, smiling as sweetly as her bruised face would allow. "Under what charges?" the tall guard grinned, "Disturbing the peace, ravaging the Port, destroying public property, attempted manslaughter, need I continue?"

"Attempted manslaughter?!" he smiled coldly, dangling the shackles, "Yes, attempted manslaughter."

"Who?" she asked. His eyes narrowed, "Me."

(Insert understanding, "Oh!")

"So you will come with us now without a fuss, if further force is needed your sentence will be elongated, perhaps even changed to an execution."

_"But I only knocked over a steel wagon!"_

"That knocked over all else." the guards smug smile was full of glee as he placed the shackles around her wrists. "If you were planning on leaving Port Royal anytime soon, you'll have to change your plans, because you," he sneered as a fellow guard handed him a WANTED poster with her picture on it, "Starr Auroras, are going to be jailed for a long, long time."

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A/N- I love pirates. Starr is mine, she is fully my creation, she's the epitome of thievery…if thievery consisted of klutzes and clods…she's the perfect match for a certain pirate who has his own misfortunes of being caught, a lot.

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"Captain, we're coming to port." yelled Ana-Maria as several sail ties came up to whip her in the face. "Ah good, lower the sails, we'll dock."

"Captain?"

"Ana-Maria, I said we dock, savvy?" the beautiful mulatto's mouth opened to protest, but no sound came out, finally her tongue seemed to comply, "But…Captain Sparrow…they'll arrest you."

"Arrest me, no love, they owe me." Captain Jack Sparrow gave the wind tousled beauty a charmingly, roguish smile, then pulled himself up to The Black Pearl's crow's-nest- "I'll find you Starr, I'll find you and do to you as you did to me." his mutterings were interrupted as Will Turner sat down next to him, "Planning on finding something Jack?" Jack smirked, "Someone, yes." Will's interest was piqued, "Who?"

"An old friend," Jack let a sly smile slip across his lips, "An old friend I have to repay a favor too." Will's eyebrow arched, "What sort of favor?" Jack sighed, leaning back he slipped a star-shaped pendant from his pocket. "Will…her name is Starr Auroras, I knew her once, or thought I did, it was a long time ago," he closed his eyes and then lifted his gaze to the clouds, "She framed me for murder, stole my money, and left me tied to a bed," Will gave him a skeptical look, "Ok, maybe not in that exact order, but she swindled me, Will, and I intend to repay the favor, savvy?" Will shook his head, he would never fully understand the mentality that made up Jack Sparrow. "Jack, don't do anything until the opportune moment." he had a mockingly serious expression dancing across his face, Jack gave him a knowing smirk and pulled his hat down over his eyes. However, Will had one more question: "Why were you tied to a bed?"

"Will, do I need to explain everything? I told you I knew her, that should've been enough." a dimple appeared in Will's cheek, "And she left you tied to a bed…oh yes, you knew her well." Jack groaned, "She's a thief and a murderer, Will, she stole my coin-purse, she killed a man and framed me for it, I don't kill, I could, but I don't…she was just a bad sort, and I hope to find her here."

"How long ago was this?"

Jack frowned, "Ten years," he kicked out at the planks, "ten, bloody years , and I can still see her face, I can still smell her. The reason I came to Port Royal three years ago, wasn't just to commandeer a ship, but to find her, you see how well that went?" Jack looked back up to the sky, a sky that now held a setting sun and a few early sprinklings of stars.

"Jack, think she's still around?"

"Oh yes, she's around, I can feel her," Jack took a deep breath, "she wouldn't leave Port Royal, her dear, sweet Red Roiben is here."

"Red Roiben?"

"Thieve guild, only the shadiest of shady get in, but Starr got in on accounts that The Rogue is a father figure to her, like I said…bad egg." Will laughed, taking Jack's offered flask, he replied: "Pirates and Thieves should go together."

"No, the clashing of interests would get in the way."

"Clashing of interests?"

"Pirates need freedom, we answer to no one, Thieves…. Thieves answer to The Rogue."

"Who is 'The Rogue'?" Jack sneered, "Their king." the Pearl docked and Will and Jack spent the rest of the night going over various ideas of Jack's revenge, Will planning on meeting up with Elizabeth before the ship once again set sail.

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"I'm in prison, I can get out of this, I'm unstoppable…I am Starr Auroras, I am the future Rogue…I will get out of this." Starr grumbled as she picked at the cell's lock, "no one can keep me if I don't want to be kept." a strand of silky, black hair fell into her green eyes and she blew at it, unwilling to take her hands from the lock. A set of keys was dropped into her lap and she fumbled with them for the right one, "Kamarrato, I will never doubt you again!"

"Who's Kamarrato?" Starr's heart froze, that voice! She trailed her eyes up, knowing, and dreading what she'd see. It was Him. His onyx eyes were traced with coal, giving their piercing look even more of an edge, black hair was knotted, braided, and beaded, he was older, more dashing, more dangerous. His lips drew back into a smile as he laughed at her silently, "What, Starr, no 'Thank you'?" her hands dropped from the lock just as it clicked open, allowing Jack Sparrow a way in. he pulled her up into his arms, "Starr, can I have a word with you? Or even two? No, make that an entire sentence," she struggled against him, "You're supposed to be dead!"

"You forget, Love, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, I came back, just like I promised, and you, you can do what you promised and follow me to the ends of the earth. You remember that? It's what you promised right after you told me you loved me and right before you tore my heart from my chest."

"Don't flatter yourself," Starr hissed, " you don't have a heart, and if you ever did, maybe it's with Jezebel, or Amelia, or whatever name you uttered that night!" Jack leaned forward, his warm breath beating down into her face, Starr tired very hard not to become intoxicated by him, which was very hard seeing as he was totally male, smelling of salt, wind, and just slightly of perspiration, a faint, not unpleasant aroma of rum drifted off of him. "You tried to break me, Starr, you tried to break me, and I swear that by this time tomorrow, you're going to wish I had broken you."

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A/N- I got tired…I'm trying to write four stories at the same time now and I only do that so I don't get bored which gets more distracting because I can't remember which story is which and….wow, send reviews, please, I'm begging down on my knees in a $900 dollar suit! Love you! 


	3. Chapter Two: Lost

A/N- Yeah. Thanks for the reviews, I went away for a while and when I came back I had reviews for only 2 chapters. I know my editing isn't the best, but I'm a writer, not an editor, I have a beta reader, but she's on vacation (damn her to the depths of hell!!!)- I can't edit, but I can write. Thanks sooo much for the reviews and this chapter will be my last before finals week engulfs me like a avalanche…

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Chapter Two: Lost

Starr felt a very strong urge to scream, Thieves, no matter how frightened, never screamed, but she didn't have any of her effects, her fists would be no match for Jack's pistol, rapier, or him, to be exact. "Leave me be," Starr backed up against a far wall, "don't you come any closer." Jack's lip curled up and he advanced, pinning her to the wall, his lips inches from her ear, he growled huskily: "Starr, I won't leave you be again, of that I swear." Starr went to rush past him, he caught her cloak, she fell forward; he caught her, and there she lay in his arms, staring into his cruel, black eyes; fear curling up her spine.

"Jack…why are you here? I liked it when I thought you were dead."- her voice held a doubled edged note of panic, and her green eyes flashed desperately; escape was on her mind, however, it was the last thing on Jack's. "Starr, now if I told you my plan, where would be the fun in capturing you?"

"Old Crooked save me, you will not have me."

Jack's smile twisted into an mocking jib of a smile, "I've already had you, you can't undo the past, you can undo the future, and you can redeem yourself of the follies of your person, but you can't undo the past." Starr punched him.

"Tell me why yer here!"

Jack leapt forward without an answer, and grabbed Starr with the force of twenty men. He carried her up the cobblestone stairs, out to his ship, and down into the Captain's quarters; Starr fighting him all the way.

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"She still out?" Will asked with casual indifference.

Jack retorting lightly: "I haven't a clue, why don't you go check." Ana-Maria happened to be on deck and gave both Jack and Will a perturbed looks from the other side of the sails, neither of them willing to go check on the hostage.

"For Slalom's sake!" she cried, "I'll go check the bird, 's not like you two help any."

"Thanks, Ana, you saved my ass."

"If you'd done to me like you did our bird, I'm not so sure I wouldna done the same thing, I mean, tying you to a bed an all, the murder makes her a bit teched in the head." Jack gave her a quick pat on the back, "Careful Ana, our bird's a minx, no telling what she could've done by now." Ana-Maria's mouth quirked into a cat-like smile, "I'll handle her, a thief ain't nothing to fear."

"A murderer. Is that something to fear?"

"Jack, I'm a pirate, I've been in my fair share of murders."

"Don't underestimate her, an never let your defenses down, that's when she strikes."

Ana-Maria sighed, "Jack, you were her lover, I'm going to down to offer her something better."

"Freedom?"

"Friendship."

"Aye, that'll do it," Jack said sarcastically, "While you're at it, why don't you offer her a gun and her choice of loot?" Ana-Maria shook her head, laughing, she began to make her way to Jack's quarters, not sure of how she would find the bird, or how badly the bird would react…

"Jack, you're going to let Ana-Maria go check on the prisoner." Will's eyebrows were cocked and full of confusion, "Suppose I am, what's the difference if I went?" Will gave Jack a very pointed look and a flood of understanding washed over his weather-beaten features. "Ana-Maria!" he cried, "Don't open that door, don't you open that door!" he glared at Coton, _"Why didn't you tell her not to open that door?!" _Coton's parrot responded: "Over the wind, over the wind." which no one understood, but it still did nothing to calm Jack's nerves.

Jumping up in a flurry of panic, Jack raced over the deck- unfortunately, the two deck swabs swabbing away at a certain part of the deck, didn't see him, and neither did Jack see them, he slipped on a puddle and went sprawling into the ship's mast…his race to rescue Ana-Maria had ended miserably before it had even begun.

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When Ana-Maria entered the room, the bird was sitting at the cabin window; Ana-Maria was at once stunned by her innocent beauty, and a bit jealous. The disheveled curls that littered her head were black as sin and just as wicked. Her wide eyes were the gleaming transparent green of real emeralds, they were set and hard, all features cold as stone.

Ana-Maria approached with caution, "Ana-Maria." she held out her hand, the bird looked at the hand, but made no move to accept it so Ana-Maria pulled back, "Captain Jack doesn't usually take prisoners so I don't know what 'e has planned for ye." the bird stood. She wasn't tall, at least not as tall as Ana-Maria, but something about her drew ones eye and made them look at her, so she wasn't tall in height, but was almost overbearing in persona. When she spoke, which she finally did after glaring at Ana-Maria for about half an hour, her voice was smooth, like Jack's only in a female form.

"You don't know why I'm here."

"Not really."

The girl moved lethally, backing Ana-Maria to the door, "I'm here," she smirked, "to appease Jack for something he can't square with, something that happened ten years ago, maybe more. I'm here, because Jack couldn't leave well enough alone -" the door opened and Jack barged in, shooting Ana-Maria a look that read clearly "leave now" he approached Starr with the same lethally calculated steps that she had shown Ana-Maria only a few seconds before.

"Starr, I'll have to tell you not to converse with my crew, they're honest thieves, not murderers like you." she lunged at him, forcing him back out the door she took a running leap and bounded up the steps. Once on deck, she ran for the starboard side and blanched when she realized that they were at sea…all hope she'd had of returning to the Roiben, flew off into the clouds as a lost feeling crept over her mind.

"Welcome to my ship, Starr, I hope you can stay a while," a tear slid down her cheek and the last signs of turf drifted out of sight, Jack continued, "because I don't plan on letting you go until I'm done with you." he pulled her around, Starr struggled in his grasp as his lips sank down onto hers, muffling a cry of anger and stirring long forgotten emotions.

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A/N- How did I get reviews for only 2 chapters? I suddenly am forced to realize that I am no the only PotC obsessed person out there, I applaud all of us, we rule the planet and someday soon, the universe, send me more reviews and I will love you all for all time. 


	4. Chapter Three: Admit

A/N- Ok, chapter three…I almost gave up, but decided not to, I really need ideas, a lot of ideas, and I like listening to your ideas because they're fun- I thank you all for the reviews, please keep them coming!

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Chapter Three: Admit

Starr couldn't believe her luck, or the lack thereof. Jack had not only kidnapped her, he had confused her more than any man in existence…. She knew she had to hate him, and yet she knew that she knew she couldn't, she had been trying to hate him for the past ten years, that had barely succeed when she thought him dead. He had killed Bram, and that same night, before Bram had been found…while they lay in bed- he had asked her to marry him, she had loved him, maybe she still did. Starr knew that Jack couldn't help his nature, he was a scallywag- she didn't and hadn't ever denied that- and once he had been a good man; greed does funny things to people.

She watched him pace the room, half a tankard of rum in his hand, the other half pooling in his stomach. From all his ranting, Starr had discovered that Jack thought she had killed Bram. He also thought she had taken his money after drugging him and tying him naked to the bed…now Starr was vindictive, but she wasn't sadistically evil.

"Jack, I can swear to ye that I wouldna, nay, I _never_ killed Bram." He glared at her, his drunken stance seemingly lethal , "Can I believe you? Should I believe you?" Starr fought down an urge to pummel him and shifted her weight, keeping her eyes locked on Jack. "You tell me, Captain Jack, can you believe me?" Jack lunged at her and brought his face inches from hers-

"Why did you do it? He was your brother, wasn't he? Why kill him?"

"I didin kill him, it was you, Jack, I know it had to of been you, when I woke you were gone, probably back to Amelia- why Jack? Why kill him?" Jack threw the now empty bottle against the wall, it shattered and Starr forced herself not to flinch as he grabbed her by the wrists. "Admit it, Starr, 'twas you, not me that fired the gun!" she sneered up into his face, "My admittance will happen when you admit that I admit that I'm right."

Jack cursed and threw Starr across the room, she landed on the bed after ricocheting off the wall. When she glared back at him, he saw that her lips was cut and bleeding, there was a scratch across her cheek, and her green eyes were full of an emotion he hadn't thought she possessed…sorrow.

He approached her and she flew to the other side of the bed, her voice was venom: "Don't you touch me, don't ye dare touch me, you vile, despicable pig! You killed Bram, I know ye did, he was me family, he was my heart…I gave you a chance, Jack Sparrow, I gave ye my heart, I gave you my everything…I hate you." he had stopped to hear her out, and now that she had finished he went to her, dropping to his knees before her, "Starr…you played me like a fool, I loved you, I could still love you, just tell me why."

Starr jumped up from the bed and flew to the door, "I don't need to xplain meself, Jack, I xplain meself to no one and I won't xplain meself to you."

"Love, I'm not no one, I'm Jack Sparrow, and you will explain yourself to me, I'll get it out of you eventually, but until then…" he jumped on her, capturing her lips in his and running his hands roughly over her body, she gasped and tried to pull away, he wouldn't allow escape.

His tongue force its way into her mouth, he knees gave away and she found herself melting into his arms, "You've become so cold, Starr, let me warm you." Starr hadn't the strength to argue. He carried her to the bed and fell down on top of her. His breath raggedly mixing with hers, smelled strongly of rum and Starr knew he was drunk.

"Jack, you don't want this."

"No, love, I think I do."

"Jack, you've drunk too much, you have no clue to what yer doing-" his hungry mouth stopped her from pleading, his hands convinced her that she wanted him just as badly. He undressed her in a dizzy haste, his lip suckling on a bright nub, Starr's hands twining into his dark hair; so they didn't have trust, who did these days? At least they had lust, without lust no relationship survived…if they were said to, the people that said it, were lying.

Jack kneed her legs apart and began kissing his way down her body, his mouth moved to the juncture between her hips. His breath was hot, he was hot, Starr gasped as his tongue flipped out to tease her vulva. She pulled his head up and forced him to look her in the eyes, "Jack don't, for both our sanities, I beg you, don't." whether of the rum or the fact that he no longer cared- Jack's mouth sank back down to capture her.

'Starr screamed, her scream shattered jack's remaining restrain and he brought himself back up to her eyes, he placed himself above her and plunged himself into her as deeply as he could, he wanted to hear her cry, he wanted her to feel pain, he wanted her to feel him. She struggled under him, but only briefly, and then gave up as a wave of passionate abandon took her…

Afterwards she lay staring at the ceiling. Why did loving him hurt so right? It didn't make sense!- but she loved him, she had known that at twenty-six when she had first met him, and she knew it now ten years later, and through all the lies, through all the hate…he loved her too.

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A/N- More reviews and I will type up more, if you follow through with your half of the deal I promise to follow through with mine…I'm stuck for next chapter and would like ideas…actually…review please! I'm sooo unbearably lonely! 


	5. Chapter Four: For I have sworn thee fair

A/N- Oh wow, you guys are so great, you really kept up with your part of the bargain so I'm gonna try to make this longer- I gave info on Starr and Jack's little quarrel, it's not that great of a story, I'll admit, but it works…Jack is just so damn…Jack or sexy, whichever you prefer.

Disclaimer- I wish it were mine, I do, but PotC belongs elsewhere, Starr is mine- no one else's

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Chapter Four: For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, who art black as hell, as dark as night 

Jack's head was throbbing when he woke the next morning.

What had happened, and whom had it happened with?- were the first groggy, chaotic thoughts that went through his mind. They were answered when the small, silky, warm body next to his stirred. Jack jerked to the side…it was Starr, it was always Starr, but this time a heavy headache and several scratches told him that it wasn't just a dream. He glared down at the childlike woman in his bed- she really was lovely, but beauty, as the saying goes, is only skin deep.

Jack knew her true form, she was an Angel with a Demon's grace. She had wormed her way back into his heart and he didn't want the feeling of her to leave. So she had trapped him in a rather perilous game of homicide where he had been left at the gallows waiting for some miraculous event; but that didn't mean he had to continue hating her, he just wanted her to admit that she had done wrong, then they could go on like they had last night with a bottle of rum and no thought to trouble or revenge…

He watched as Starr stretched and gave out a catlike purr before opening her eyes.

Jack knew her moods, he also knew that her moods could be determined by the hue of her eyes. Now her usually emerald green eyes were as dark as the Mediterranean and probably just as treacherous. Jack knew that when her eyes were a light mint green, she was happy; when her eyes were a grayish moss color, she was always her most stealthy, light meant happy and uncaring, darker meant danger, and near black…Jack had never encountered this color on Starr before.

"Morn'…" she mumbled , her voice heavy with sleep.

"Morning…" Jack said softly, his dark eyes trying to pull themselves free of her innocent visage.

"Jack, did we really…" she trailed off, a blush of mixed disgust and lust rising and spreading over her body.

"Afraid we did and," he bent his head and covered her mouth with his, "we are going to do a lot more-" she bolted away from him, dressed in nothing but her birthday suit.

"No, Jack, not again, we have ta settle some things firs before we do anything like that again."

"Starr," he quirked his mouth into an jester's leer, "we settled it last night."

"Impossible, I'd remember."

"Well, love, you did not remember sex, so it is quite probable that you don't remember that."

Starr grabbed for her things, "Jack, I'm getting off this hell of a boat you call a ship, an I'm swimming to shore, I don't care anymore, I swore that all was done ten years ago, an trust me, it is very much done."

"You can't leave just yet."

"Why's that?" she cried, flinging her arms to show her exasperation. Jack swung his legs over the side of the bed and took great striding steps toward her, "We have something to finish, love, and I'm not so sure we're done." Starr pulled on her dirty pantaloons in an angry haste, "I'm gone, Jack, you cannot keep me here against me will."

"Did I say in some sense this morning I would? Go." her eyes widened in disbelief, "Starr," he jeered, "I have come to the decision that having you around me is not only hazardous, it is down right stupidity. When I'm with you, I am not myself." he stopped here hoping to make a point.

"Jack, yer a fool, I always knew ye were mad, but now I know yer jes a fool."

"I may be many things, Starr, but I have never been a fool." Starr shook her head, a headache brought on by the lack of him and the confusion he wrought.

"Say it again, Jack, I think you almost believed yerself, maybe next time you'll get someone else to agree." that said, Starr flew up and out to the riggings deck, her black hair unbound and cascading behind her like tendrils of smoke.

* * *

Jack sat in her absence, completely unmoving, staring at the door in utter rage.

How did she manage to take all the things he thought good of her, no matter how briefly, and turn them into some sort of morbid fascination? How did she make him feel like shit and at the same time bloat his heart to the size of a herring? Why was he still hoping that she held a trace of love for him somewhere in her frigid heart?

Last night had been…last night had been the most passion he'd had in years, he'd had adventure and he'd had gold spastically throughout the years, and getting the Pearl back had been a dream, but he only seemed to find real _passion_ with Starr.

He slipped into his clothing and ambled up the stairs, he glanced around deck to see if Starr was in sight, noting Will's jerk of the head towards the bow, Jack stepped out to begin charting out their destination…

Ana-Maria hadn't been startled when Starr had approached her, in fact she had been somewhat relieved, at least she now knew that the girl had no intention of killing her. Ana-Maria focused in on the girl's conversation- the girl was having Jack problems, Ana-Maria knew Jack problems all too well.

"He's denying everything, and I know that he knows he did it."

"Maybe you two 'ave it all wrong, maybe neither o ye did it an yer jes trying to esplain what happened by blaming the one most likely to 'ave committed the crime."

Starr huffed out her ignorance, "The Jack Sparrow I knew is dead!" she cast her eyes out to sea and felt a shiver run through her body. She remembered seeing Bram lying broken at the bottom of the stairs, she remembered the scream that froze on her lips and stuck to the roof of her mouth like glue. She remembered the tears she had cried knowing Jack had done it, and now the possibility that he hadn't shook her.

The feel of Bram's cold, waxen skin, and bright red locks had been so perfect, and so cold, Starr had had the feeling that she would never get warm again.

Ana-Maria said something, but Starr shrugged it off, a saying she had heard long ago playing repeatedly through her mind: "For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, who art black as hell, as dark as night."

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A/N- Well? Am I getting any better with this one? I have a lot of fics under Harry Potter, Raven Nights is probably my best, but I like trying different things- I have a Dogma one I'm gonna post eventually too, but back to BL, please review, I love that you all reviewed the last chapter- and when and if I ever rule the universe, I will make sure you are all second supreme ruler beings- I'm not sure that's what I'm technically going to label them, but I'll think of something. Love you all. My quote "For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, who art black as hell, as dark as night."- is from Shakespeare's Sonnet CXLVII 


	6. Chapter Five: Changing of the tides

A/N- Oh man, I'm so sorry for the wait, last day of school was June…7th, 8th? I'm not sure, what was Tuesday? But yeah, I've been overloaded with finals, I swear I'm not abandoning this fic, I'll have all summer to write- well most summer anyways…

Disclaimer- PotC is not mine, nor shall it ever be mine unless I become a movie director…I actually plan to be a writer, but hey, I could do both…I have a book coming out in August, well series- The Death Chronicles- email me and I'll detail it if you're interested, but yes on to Breaking Loose.

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Chapter Five: Changing of the tides. 

She couldn't hate him any longer. She couldn't sit there and try to hate him when she didn't have official proof that he had killed Bram. She wouldn't cry over milk he hadn't spilt, she couldn't cry- her tears had dried up years ago. Loving him was a crime she had always been guilty of. Loving him was something she could never be rid of, and she would love him, damn all the consequences.

Starr sighed deeply and leaned over the starboard side, gazing out into the blue of the ocean. She felt free, for the first time in ten years she felt completely free- it was like some overbearing weight had been torn away; was this how Jack felt everyday he was at sea? Was this how things were supposed to be, the wind, the salt, the free air- Starr had never known freedom, no thief knew freedom, no thief knew what it was like to think for himself. Thieves knew The Rogue, only The Rogue. None of them followed dreams for themselves anymore, none of them answered to their hearts, if The Rogue gave an order…you were going to follow it, even if it meant your death.

Starr didn't notice Jack stepping up behind her, she was oblivious to him even when he closed that distance to stand directly at her back, and only when he spoke did she realize he was even there.

"I've never seen you this quiet."

"I'm thinking, guess I got a little lost in my thoughts…"

Jack took a breath, "I didn't kill your brother, Starr, and I know now that you could not have." She turned to him, her lips parted and the look in her eyes alluringly peculiar…

"Jack…I'm…sorry. I'm sorry I, well I'm sorry, it's jes that I…I was a fool, Jack, 'twas never you." he stepped closer, trapping any distance between them with a kiss.

Jack pulled away half a heart beat later, his voice soft: "I meant what I said that night."

Her eyes widened, "What?"

"About marrying me. Think you could? Think you could handle an old swashbuckler?"

"Yer not so old," she turned her face away, "Jack…I can't."

"Why not?" he yelled, grabbing her shoulders in a surprised rage, "Why the bloody hell not?"

"There's too much hurt 'tween us, too much wrong, surely you can see that, I'm not blind to it, if we tried now- we'd kill each other within the month- the week!" she put her hand on his shoulder, "Let it go Jack, time wounds all heals, it's wot everyone says…I'm gettin off at the next docking," her green eyes filled with angry tears, "It'll be best fer us both." Jack tried to get Starr's eyes to meet with his, she kept a frigid mask and refused to meet his insistent glare, "You'll regret this Starr, I promise you'll regret this." he stormed away

"Believe you me, Jack," she uttered softly, "I already do."

* * *

Jack sat at the bowline, watching Port Elliard sink into the sunset. She had left him to die again. Well, not to die in the dying sense of things, but to die in the mental anguish of things. Without her, every second that past was excruciatingly cruel, every breath he took never filled his lungs- he needed her, all anger gone- he wanted her, and he had let her go.

Why? Of all things he could've done, why had he let her go? Why not lock her down in his cabins? Why not keep her chained to he bed, an eye for an eye. Why let her go?

He cursed himself and propped his back against the wooden post of the ship's mast.

"Jack Sparrow, I never thought I'd live to see the day when a girl has you sulking like a four year old." Will kneeled down next to him, "Why let her go?"

"I've asked myself that same question."

"Your answer?"

"She deserves freedom, she deserves to live…she spent the better part of ten years thinking I'd killed her brother-"

"And you thought she had done it. It still doesn't explain why." Jack patted the deck next to him and Will sat down, "I love her enough to know that she'll come back if she wants to."

"If she doesn't?"

"Then I guessed her wrong, but she loves me too, I could feel it in her kiss and see it in her eye-"

An explosion caught everyone off guard and a great scrambling on the deck started. Once it was determined that the blow had not come from the Black Pearl, all eyes turned back to Port Elliard…

Most of the island was in flame…

* * *

A/N- Sorry, short chapter, you all deserved a longer chapter, but the monster I'm babysitting needs to be watched every five seconds- especially because I have a pool, and have you ever had to watch a baby while a pool is involved? It's not the prettiest picture. 


	7. Chapter Six: Nor from Hell one step more

A/N- Ha! I'm sooo evil, but you're reading anyway. Next chapter- the title is a quote from _Paradise Lost_, if none of you have read that you should, it's a really, really good book- another one you should read is _The Da Vinci Code _and another book by the same author: _Angels and Demons- _all are so good…but anyways…yeah I'm on an intelligence binge, reading books bound to get me into college, I'm going to Augsburg with Creative Writing (Literature) as my major and Theater as my minor, my favorite book is _Tithe_, by Holly Black and my favorite movies: PotC and Dogma, it had to be both, Dogma was out long before PotC- but oh well, please review and know that all your reviews mean a great deal to me and wow I'm rambling…

* * *

Chapter Six: Nor from Hell one step more than from himself can fly.

::Recap::

"She deserves freedom, she deserves to live…she spent the better part of ten years thinking I'd killed her brother-"

"And you thought she had done it. It still doesn't explain why." Jack patted the deck next to him and Will sat down, "I love her enough to know that she'll come back if she wants to."

"If she doesn't?"

"Then I guessed her wrong, but she loves me too, I could feel it in her kiss and see it in her eye-"

An explosion caught everyone off guard and a great scrambling on the deck started. Once it was determined that the blow had not come from the Black Pearl, all eyes turned back to Port Elliard…

Most of the island was in flame…

* * *

Jack stood frozen to the deck, his mouth slightly ajar and his eyes wide with shock, "Will, tell me that Elliard is not all a flame." Will's mouth opened and Jack interrupted him, "Tell me the docks where we just left Starr are not caught in a blaze!"

"Jack, I'm sure Starr's fine, now here," Will pulled out a leather flask, "drink this- it always makes you feel better." Jack took the flask, took a swig, and then threw the flask over the ship's side. "I'm going back for her, if she's dead all my plans for revenge are all but naught ."

"I thought revenge was done."

"Will, we are going to turn this bloody keel around and we are then going to find Starr, I've lost too much to lose her too." Will clasped Jack's forearm, an open smile touching his face.

"Alright, Jack, you're captain of this rig, what you say goes and what goes is back to Port Elliard," meeting Jack's troubled eyes, Will offered another open smile…if not somewhat foggy, "She'll be fine, she's lived this long knowing you, a few minutes under fire won't hurt her." Jack nodded, the gesture detached and airy, his voice weary, he called over his shoulder: "All hands on deck, turn her round, back to port, we dock." Ana-Maria walked up behind Will, her voice soft:

"Turner, I don't think anyone could 'ave lived through that…this is a lost battle."

"Ana-Maria…you're absolutely right, this is a lost battle-"

"But," Jack threw in, "we're bound to win the war." Both Ana-Maria and Will looked over at him… the scowl on his face had turned his usually sparklingly, dangerous features into a cold hard mask, neither person dared to go against his word at that moment in time. They walked away from Jack's area of hearing, Ana-Maria turned to Will and whispered heatedly into his ear: "We can't go back there, this is madness, the Port is all but gone."

"I know, but he won't listen to reason."

"Then reason'll listen to him! Starr's dead, we cannot go back."

"What makes you think Starr's dead?"

"The docks are on fire, sure sign that she ain't amongst the living." Will let his eyes drift off towards Port Elliard. If Starr had survived the blast, the likely hood of her being anything recognizably human was a far cry in itself. He turned his head to look back at Jack, Jack was now brooding over the ship's wheel, his face intent on the direction of Port Elliard.

"He won't let her alone you know."

"That's why we needs to take charge, he isn't of right mind- there's no telling of what he'll do when like this."

"The Black Pearl all over again."

"Aye," Ana-Maria whispered, "the Pearl all over again…"

"You love him, don't you Ana."

"More 'n a fool should, but I learned 'long time ago that there can be ony four loves in Jack's life." Will's eyebrow rose, "Really?"

Ana-Maria smiled and shook her head, "Yes, the Pearl, piracy, adventure, and Starr, I gave up on him some time ago."

"And what of Starr?"

Her mouth quirked and she giggled snidely, "He loves her, that's really why we're going back to Elliard, he loves her and he won't let her be dead…she's a bit teched in the head, but then again, so's he."

The ship drifted silently into port and the crew docked without so much as a word to rebuff Jack's crazed decision to locate Starr…

* * *

::Port Elliard::

People were rushing everywhere, children were screaming for their mothers, mothers were screaming for their husbands, husbands were running back and forth for water to douse the relentless flames.

Unnoticed, a young man cut his way through the panicked crowd like a silent knife, and made his way leisurely towards a pile of rubble, he was cloaked entirely in black; his eyes liquid ice beneath a scrap of black cloth. Slowly he drew a pistol from beneath a flap of leather and aimed it towards the unmoving mound.

Without warning, the man was knocked over from behind, his pistol flying to the mud in front of him, a knife wound to his side; a hairsbreadth later Starr dropped down next to him in a fighting pose, her ivory face now marred by a long languid scar seared across her left eye, a few bruises scattered along her ribs. Turning him over to catch his identity, Starr felt a shiver roll down her spine…he was wearing the mark of The Rogue, he was a member of The Rogue's personal guard.

Starr staggered away from the fallen body in shock and raked her eyes over the chaos, she caught a few shadowed figures slipping into nooks and crannies. The Rogue had sent his own guard out against her, why? Had she done something to disappoint him? It had only been three days, surely there wasn't bounty for her head yet…. Unless the guard had mistook her for someone else, but that in itself was impossible, all the underbelly of the Keys knew Starr Auroras, all the underbelly knew that no one went against The Rogue's trained replacement, no one, unless The Rogue had concerns on where Starr's loyalty now lay…

Grabbing for the fallen pistol, hand shaking, Starr scampered out from the debris and smoking ruins. The Rogue wanted her dead. That realization hurt more than any blow Starr had been dealt, he had sent his Spys out to find her and his assassins out to off her, so they had taken most of Port Elliard down in their attempt to dispose of her, The Rogue should have known better that to play with fire, Starr was as likely to die as a cockroach- fuming with a new burning rage, Starr made her way shakily down the devastated Elliard streets. A black figure lunged out from a doorway with he speed of someone hired for the kill; Starr was faster. In a few short seconds she had the figure, a boy of fourteen, pinned against the coal smeared walls.

"Why're you here?" she growled, uncaring of the pain she was putting him through.

"Da Rogue wants assurance dat all 'is trubbles ar' taken care of." shaken by this news, Starr asked sweetly: "I'm a trouble?" the boy sneered, "Ony yous could evah be a real probwem wiv Da Rogue," the boy let out a strangely strangled cry as Starr wedged the but of the pistol into his throat, "'Right," he gulped down a scream, "he's wanting to know why ye're wiv da pirate, ye can't be wiv dat pirate, it's against all code…"

Starr managed to find a response for this: "Why's it against all code? Wasn't against all code yesterday or day afore that, why now?" that had come out much colder than she'd originally intended. The boy laughed and squirmed in Starr's grasp, "Da Rogue didin say, all he say was dat ye an da pirate were ta be offed , he nevah says why!"

"Well I'd like to know _why_."

"I can't tell ye, I honestwey can't says why 'e say it, I always liked ye, Starr, ye're a good thief, Da Rogue is becoming a bit loose in da rocks, if ye understan' what I mean."

"I understand," her voice was entirely monotone and her features entirely expressionless as she realized why The Rogue wanted her dead…he wanted an unfinished job to finally end, "I understand perfectly." she threw the boy away from the wall and he stumbled for a few seconds before turning back to search Starr for leave, "Go back to The Rogue and tell him that his bird still lives, tell him that if he wants me dead he knows where to find me, but before that- tell him I'd like an explanation to why he killed me brother, _now get out of here_!" she roared the last bit and the boy took off running .

Her world crashing in upon her, Starr sagged back against the cobbled walls.

"Old Crooked," she whispered, "I'll be needing your help to go against him, he's might powerful, an it's only me to fight him…" a hot, angry tear slid down her cheek and she pounded her fists against the wall, "Damn ye!" she yowled, "Damn ye to the very depths of hell."

"Come now Starr, you cannot think I'd be letting you go off to fight this war of thieves on your own?" her head snapping up to attention, Starr was greeted by Jack's visage moving in through the wafting smoke. "Only a fool would suppose such a thing." he kept moving to stand right before her, "Then lucky we aren't fools.'

She brushed a wisp of black hair from his perilous eyes, "Yes, lucky we aren't fools." with a sudden surge of passion, Starr stood on tiptoe to kiss Jack lustily on lips, gaping at her in surprise, Jack let a devious smile slip across his beautiful lips, "Off to the Red Roiben then?"

"Yes, off to the Red Roiben, I have unfinished business with a certain Rogue." with that both Starr and Jack sped back to The Black Pearl, smoke and flames billowing behind them.

* * *

A/N- So, can anyone tell that my creative genius started dying towards the end of the chapter? It's not dead but it was definitely going bye-bye for a short time so I stopped before I could injure my story, please review, if I get enough reviews I'll post the next chapter- I'm still playing with colleges, I miss being a kid… 


	8. Chapter Seven: The Red Roiben

A/N- Chapter seven, yeah I ran out of title ideas, oh man, my brain is swamped, I went to visit Augsburg and it's all locked up like a prison…I'm not sure if they're trying to keep people in or keep dangers out- I'm being sent to a prison- a well-to-do prison I'll bet, but a prison all the same. Wanna know a good movie with the sexiest man alive in it? _The Astronaut's Wife_- Johnny Depp plays this astronaut named Spencer that goes into space and comes back all wrong…sexy, but wrong. Charlize Theron plays his wife- but Johnny Depp is God, he's blond in this movie, but still really, really, really sexy…

* * *

Chapter Seven: The Red Roiben.

Starr had been beating her brain trying, failing, but trying- to figure out what she could've done to set The Rogue against her, Bram had only been a boy of eight…what could he have done to upset The Rogue so? Starr herself was only thirty-six, not so young anymore, but not so old to warrant her demise…The Rogue was older than her by far; at his last birthday The Rogue had breached and broken the living age of most thieves by reaching an astounding sixty-five, and Starr had thought at one time that thirty was a miracle age…

She realized now, of course, that she was only alive for The Rogue's entertainment.

Why Bram? Why had The Rogue not come for her, why had he sent his men instead to abolish a tiny spit of a boy that had only begun to live…. Starr bit her tongue and let the bitter, rusty taste of blood flood her mouth.

Jack entered the cabin and came at once to her side: "You're afraid of him?" biting back a wicked laugh, she let her resentful green pools meet his black orbs, her voice hollow and detached: "Afraid of him? No, I'm not afraid, I'm terrified," Jack sidled down next to her and placed his arm casually around her shoulder, she met his eyes again with a look that could spoil venom- Jack did not pull away, and instead pulled Starr closer. "Jack, ye've never seen the Roiben, ye've never passed through it's halls an seen the blood pouring down it's walls like rain, ye've never been apart of the seedy dark that is the Roiben…

"sure ye've heard the tales, ye've heard all the glitz an the glamour…but ye've never seen the dark," a tear slipped out the corner of her left eye and traced it's way down her scar, Jack's thumb joined the tear- leaning down he ran his tongue over her lips, feathering the lightest of kisses over her knew scar.

"You know," he whispered, "I've my own share of scars, and I think your scar gives you just the right amount of air for trouble…" he ended his sentiment with a debonair smirk and kissed Starr fitfully on the mouth.

"I can't bring meself to go there Jack, knowing what I now know…"

"You can go in there, love, what you can't do is take on all the Roiben by your onesy."

"Then what do ye suggest, cause I'm all out of ideas."

He leaned in and whispered something secretively into her ear, a smile spread lazily across her face and she pulled him down to her, their lips clashed and folded against one another, hands, and mouths were soon everywhere, undistinguishable between whether the part belonged to Starr or Jack…

* * *

"You say that she knows…" the cold voice spoke up from the shadows, daring the boy to speak further, "Yes, yer grace, she knows-"

"Did she say she knows?"

"N-no…she says dat…dat… 'tell Da Rogue dat 'is bird still wives, tell 'im dat if 'e wants me dead 'e knows where ta find me, but before dat- tell 'im I'd like an esplenation ta why 'e killed me brother…'" the boy trailed off, dread washing over his entire body, "'S all she says, yer grace, all she tole me ta tell ye, an I membered it…I didin forget none of it, not one bit."

Beckoning to the boy through the shadows, The Rogue's arm slashed out and pulled the now quaking boy to him-

"Your idiocy out does you…I told you to kill her, did I or did I not make myself very clear on that matter?"

"Oh inescapably clear, Majezty- but she's not like most o' yer poppets…ye be wanting me ta find her ta give a message back?"

"No," the voice struck out like a flash of lightning, "I'll handle her- seeing as I could not trust you to handle the little problem on your own…" The Rogue sat back, releasing the boy back to the light.

"Yer grace?" the boy questioned cautiously.

"Leave now," a cold smile touched his lips, reaching briefly to his eyes, "I may yet change my mind on punishing you." the boy scampered off, leaving the Roiben 's enigmatic court behind him. Kamarrato approached the black throne with careful steps, his voice full of dark disgust:

"Ye were the one that killed Bram?- and then I heard that ye tried to do off wiv Starr…Sire, the very trying of that 'tis blasphemy, Starr never did nuffing to ye, why would ye kill her?"

The Rogue leaned out of the shadows, his eyes sparkling with fury, "Kamarrato Purloin, are you mutinying against my word?" he smiled cheekily and patted Kam on the cheek, "Starr betrayed us, she's gone off with a pirate- we cannot allow that now can we?" Kam threw down his rapier at The Rogue's feet, his eyes flashing with contempt, "I would serve ye, my liege, I would serve ye if ye were out ta do any other deed but Starr, I will not kill her, nay- I am for her, I em no longer at yer call, I'm gone." with that Kam turned on his heel and stormed out of The Red Roiben.

The Rogue motioned to a cloaked figure at his right, one of his ever diligent guards, a man by the name of Silver Rife- "Kill him," Silver went to follow Kam out into the streets, but The Rogue held a hand to stop him, "On second thought…kill him slowly, make sure he screams."

Silver let a cruel smile drop over his features, drawing a dagger from the sleeve of his cloak, he followed Kam out onto the busy Port Royal streets…a short while later a scream shattered the bustling quiet of the streets, Silver did not return. The Rogue motioned to his top assassin, Night Black-

"Find Kamarrato and bring me his head- do not return to me until you are sure he is gone, when he is…find the pirate and destroy him, leave Starr Auroras to me."

Night nodded curtly and disappeared in a rustling of fabric, he would not fail The Rogue, if he did, The Rogue would kill him…unless Kamarrato had already done so.

* * *

A/N- The Rogue I created is an asshole…he isn't so harsh in my Auroras series…. Oh well, I like him mean. yeah I'm just interrupting my story to waste time, I'm supposed to be looking up something for more colleges (sarcastic YAY!) leave me alone, I'm gonna crawl into a small, dark hole and cry a river…well maybe not a river, but I'm still crawling into a hole…. Please tell me what you think, oh and back to the story.

* * *

They crept toward the warehouse that held the lodgings of the Roiben with severe caution, Starr holding her breath, had a vice-like grip on Jack's hand, turning to meet his eyes, now hooded and foggy with wonder. Starr kissed him lightly before ducking through the shallow hole that made the back door of The Red Roiben's warren.

Once inside, the air itself seemed bittersweet and to breath it in was disorientating.

Long, low tables were heaped with gold, silver, rubies, and emeralds shattered by the force of a hammer. Crystal goblets sat like toads on the tables, upright and overturned in equal proportion. Scarlet-clad prostitutes brushed past men in torn rags, and courtiers danced with fools.

Drunken revelers danced and sang, drank and swooned. The costumes were varied and completely unlike clothing seen elsewhere. They were more like some demented couture. Collars rose like great fins. Outfits were composed entirely of metal or shells. Ragged edges finished off lovely dresses. Ugly, strange, or as terrifying as Satan's mistress- none were plain.

Starr whispered darkly into Jack's ear: "Jack Sparrow, welcome to The Red Roiben." noting the look on Jack's face, Starr realized he had expected something else, a cave, maybe filled with human bones and prisoners. Something simple. Noting as extravagant as this. Looking through the crowd of revelers, Starr didn't know what to think herself.

The room itself was massive, so large that Starr didn't even know what was on the other side. Far across the room, what looked like a giant slouched near a dais. Each step seemed to push her away from Jack, a fiddler was playing an improbable instrument with several necks and so many strings that the fiddler sawed his bone at them wildly. A long nosed woman with freckles and ears like a troll's juggled apples. Three men with soot covered faces, dipped mugs into deep vats of ale. A huge man with a cloak that looked like batwings sat atop a table and lapped beer from a boot, he leered at Starr as she went past.

Above them all, the ceiling domed into an arch frescoed with darts and bullet dents.

Starr picked a goblet off a table and slipped it carelessly into the leather satchel always at her side, Jack saw this and jerked his head pointedly back at the table as if to say: 'put it back, we aren't here to steal', Starr grinned and grabbed another, draining the sweetly bitter fluid within it before dropping it into the bag. She spotted a tray of strange, thorny fruit and gingerly palmed one before pocketing it.

She felt an infectious giddiness wash over her, she was home. Here nothing she did was strange. She could pillage and steal and lie to her heart's content.

All at once she was aware of how far away she had drifted from Jack. She had been pushed and turned around so many times she no longer knew which way to take back.

She deliberately tried to retrace her steps. Three women walked past her, the outfits they weren't wearing trailing behind them like fine mist, one woman stopped to give her a very lecherous look before moving on. A short man with intricate silver bracelets and shoulder-length black curls sneered at her as he bit into an apricot.

Every moment Starr felt more of her soul being lost to the glamour.

A cheeky urchin ran up to her, grinning.

"You smell like salt," he said, reaching out a finger to poke her side. Starr stepped away from him, the boy laughed and skipped on. She pushed through the crowd , weaving past dancers leaping in complex intertwining circles, past a gnarled hand that snatched at her from beneath a heavy, woolen cloak, past a heated argument of which the boys held loaded pistols.

A colossal man with a curly beard was hunched over, carefully cutting the fingers off a small girl trapped in his meaty fist. The girl screeched, beating at him with her free hand, thick red blood dribbled over the beast-man's hand. Starr stopped, sickened to watch as the man tossed the girl to the ground and crushed her neck beneath his boot.

He looked up and met her eyes, leering as Starr tried to keep her stomach at bay. She pushed back through the crowd, trying to find Jack in all the madness.

This was her Red Roiben, this was what she had spent all her life in…the worst of the worst came to drink themselves sick, the bravest of the bold held roulettes in the front hall.

One skinny man drew out a dagger and gently ran the sharp edge down a mulatto boy's cheek, Starr approached the man, her voice commanding, "Let him go."

"Ye reawey fink ye're gon' save 'im poppet?"

Her demeanor unflinching: "Let him go."

The man chuckled, "I'm not gon' kiwl 'im," he let the dagger bite down into the boy's flesh, the boy whimpered and Starr took a step forward, "I'm jes soften' 'im up a bit…"

Fury surged up in her. Pulling her rapier from it's sheath, Starr lunged at the man, pinning him between her blade and the wall he had his back to, taunting him, her voice sugar-coated: "Now will you let him go?"

"Yeah," he croaked, "Yeah. I'll let 'im go…"

Satisfied that he would harm the boy no longer, Starr pushed her way back into the crowd. She came to a sudden halt …half hidden by three siren type women with large busts and ample waits- was Jack.

He was edged between an overturned table, a gem encrusted goblet tipped in his hand. He was singing merrily with his eyes closed, rocking back and forth. A puddle of wine soaked his shirt, but he didn't seem to care.

Revelers were packed in tightly around her, so she scuttled under a table. "Jack?" Starr said, breathing hard. He was looking right at her and at the same time not seeing her at all.

She shook him.

He noticed that and finally glanced up. He was drunk, or worse than drunk- like he'd been drunk for years and then drugged.

"Starr, 'like ye t' meet me friends-" his words slurred as he waved his arms acknowledging the three women who were now glaring at Starr in dangerous recognition.

"We've met." she said curtly, pulling Jack to his feet.

"I saw 'im." Jack said randomly.

"Saw who?"

""Rogue 'o yers…"

Starr felt her heart harden, "Did you."

"Yeah…seems to like all this glory shtuff,"

Starr's eyebrow quirked and she murmured cautiously: "He would, it's 'is style, he never has been one to take things lightly or back down from glorifying som'fing…even glorifies death…" Starr noticed something in Jack's eyes and turned around, the black throne was as it always was…but without a king to fill it, where was The Rogue?

The crowd parted and that was answered.

He was perfection. He was tall, with a thin, well tapered waist. Long, silver hair fell to his shoulders, tied back and braided, a few strands falling loosely into his face. Deep-set, intelligent, steel-gray eyes loomed out of a barely aged face, he had never looked his age, always younger.

"Starr, should I welcome you home, or are you by chance here for any reason but the liberties the Roiben can offer?"

"Graemae," she growled softly, "You and I need to talk, we need to talk about Bram and why ye killed him, we need to talk about how ye could've taken his innocent life, knowing that I would come fer ye," she stepped towards him, "but most of all, I'd like to know why ye tried to kill me."

Graemae Cooper, known around the Keys simply as "The Rogue", let a cold hard, smile slip across his lush mouth, "Starr, that by now should be all to obvious."

"Well it's not."

He leaned in, his lips grazing the top of her ear, "Starr, if I cannot have you, I'm not going to let some seafaring drunk take my place. You see, I had to kill Bram to get you to hate him," he jerked his head at Jack, "that didn't work as planned, even away from him you were always lost in memory or daydream- and now…you're back with him, and you know the truth," his eyes dropped and a mockingly sad pout dropped it's way onto his mouth, "You've left me no other choice than to kill you and him both."

Starr grabbed a pistol from her satchel, her eyes blacker than any sea with a limey, green tint lounging in the background almost like a shadow, held a challenge, "Then kill me," she laughed as Graemae's eyes widened in fear at his mistake. "Oh good, so ye do remember that I have never missed a shot."

"You won't live through this Starr, you're already dying."

"No, Majesty, it's you who are dying." with that, Starr cocked the pistol and took aim.

* * *

A/N- Another cliffhanger, I'm waiting for someone to kill me. I'm sorry for this cliffhanger, but I didn't want them to actually fight in this chapter, that happens next chapter I promise- so I stopped there, thanks for the reviews, keep them coming, if I get at least 26, I'm posting the next chapter. 


	9. Chapter Eight: The Rogue

A/N- Sorry, I was gone longer than Monday and Tuesday, but…YAY! I love reviews, and I love all of you who reviewed, as I promised there will be fighting in this chapter between The Rogue and Starr, after this only two chapters of this story left and then perhaps a sequel, what do you think? Sequel to Breaking Loose? I don't know, I'm already mapping a sequel out in my head so there will probably be one, anyways…on to chapter eight.

* * *

Chapter Eight: The Rogue.

The pistol now cocked and ready, Graemae began to plead, his heart, or his fear, burning in his eyes: "Come now, Starr, if you kill me, you kill the only person that ever understood you."

"Ye didn't understand me, Graemae, ye thought ye understood me, what ye thought was a lie." she grinned in malice, every dark feeling she had ever had toward Graemae brimming at the surface, "Graemae, of course ye know by now that I can kill if the need arises."

Graemae backed up, still facing Starr, panic in his eyes: "You're no killer, Starr, you're a thief through and through."

"You…killed…my…brother," she followed his retreat, her eyes cold and face set, "Where was the thief in that? You are after all, King of Thieves, has your reign finally come to the end?"

Graemae backed up and yelled over his shoulder: "If I kill this renegade rogue, will you all bind yourselves to me?" there were several hooting laughs. Starr felt her stomach drop, as long as blood was spilt, the people associated with the Red Roiben would be happy, no matter if the sacrifice was one of their own. Starr decided to counter his offer:

"If your King is down, will ye let me live? Will ye bind yourselves to me?"

Graemae laughed, "Starr you know nothing about ruling a kingdom. And I'm sure you'll find out that claiming a kingdom is far easier than keeping it."

"Ye're wasting my time," she growled, circling him, "enough talk."

"Indeed," Graemae pulled out his jewel encrusted rapier and without warning lunged at Starr, Starr faltered and Graemae knocked the pistol from her hand, it went flying across the room. Starr felt along the nearest table for a weapon to her defense, cold steel touched her hand, a sword! Glancing down, her eyes met Jack's, his hand held the weapon up to her. "Thank you." she mouthed before her blade clashed with Graemae's.

Three of Graemae's guard tried to subdue her, to block their King from her blows. The green guard's heavy sword clashed against Starr's at the same moment that a red-clad guard slashed at her back. Starr twisted, faster than should be humanly possible, and her blade sliced the red guard across the face. The man clutched at his eyes, staggering, his sword clattering to the ground.

Starr tried to dodge a blow from the third guard, a female wielding an axe, but she was too late. The blade bit into her right shoulder so hard that it hit bone.

Starr staggered back, gasping with pain, her rapier drooping low in her right hand, the tip dragging on the ground. It came up just in time to stab through the green guard's chest as he rushed forward. The guard fell on his side, completely still. There was only a small hole in his armor, but it was already welling with blood.

Starr and the female guard circled each other, exchanging tentative blows. Their weapons were not made for this kind of combat, Starr's rapier too slight and the guard's axe too slow, but it didn't take a genius to see that both combatants were dangerous enough to compensate. The guard lunged forward, swinging the axe toward Starr's other arm instead of her torso, hoping to catch Starr off guard. Starr sidestepped, evading her blow, but missing the guard with a wide sweep of her own blade.

Other Roiben fighters began to surface, too many for Starr to keep track of- archers, snipers, drunks and fools. Graemae was still, his lips pressed together in a thin line.

Blood had darkened the cloth at Starr's shoulder in a disturbingly wide stain. Even as she plunged her blade into the other guard's side hard enough to bring the woman to her knees, there were ten more opponents surrounding her. There was a blurry of parry and lunge, her body spinning to slice a clawed hand, to gut an exposed belly.

And still more came.

Graemae was shouting now, but Starr couldn't make out his words over the ring of blades and shouts of onlookers. Suddenly Jack's back was to her.

"Yer drunk, ye need to sit down!" she screamed at him as she cut a short man in black down.

"I'm sober enough for this!" he yelled back, "Besides, I think it's all gone wrong." Starr turned away from an advancing blow, her eyes locking with Jack's, "Yer daft, Jack Sparrow, and I'm daft for loving ye." Jack pulled her into a kiss. Graemae whirled at that, his face savage , advancing on Starr, his lips twitching over words, but Starr still couldn't hear him.

Jack slashed at the skinny man, Starr had encountered earlier, keeping his back to Starr.

Graemae continued his advance, his brows narrowed in furious concentration, he stopped in front of Starr, the battle raging in a flurry of chaos around them.

"While you have been most amusing, I find this game tiresome." he knocked her down, placing a booted foot on Starr's throat. Starr rasped, the pressure cutting off her air, threatening to crack her neck.

Then the pressure was gone, and Graemae was falling. Droplets of blood splattered across Starr's cheek before the body fell across her. There was a sickening hiss where Graemae's cheek hit a boiling pot. He was dead.

Jack looked down at her, his eyes wild and unfocused. There was a smear of blood across his mouth, but Starr didn't think it was his own.

A hush had fallen over the court, The Rogue was dead.

One by one thieves and murderers began dropping to their knees, all eyes on Starr, Kamarrato Purloin, her long time friend and accomplice made his way down from the upper chambers, his leg broken and his shirt caked with dried blood.

"Marauders, assassins, thieves and crooks, I give ye Starr Auroras, may she forever more be known as The Rogue."

Starr grabbed Kam as he passed her, "What are ye doing," she hissed, "Jack killed him, twasn't me, Jack should be The Rogue, not me!"

"Starr, milady, yer pirate has already gone." Starr let her eyes drift wildly around the room, "He slipped out a few seconds ago, didn't look too happy, Starr," Kam dropped to his good knee before her, "I swear meself to ye, I am for you, lady, use me as ye will." Starr said nothing and strode from the hall, she wouldn't let Jack vanish again, the hurt between them was there, but the want between them was more.

* * *

Jack clopped onto the deck of The Black Pearl with such force, it was a miracle that it was still floating. Starr was The Rogue, she had gotten more than she had ever wanted, and that left Jack with nothing, nothing but an empty void in his heart.

"Jack?" he looked up, it was Ana-Maria.

"Ana?"

"Are we gonna wait for Starr?"

Jack closed his eyes and took in a heavy breath, "No, we wouldn't want to disturb the new Rogue." Ana-Maria's eyes flared, "She's The Rogue?!"

Jack smiled coldly, his eyes flat with emotion, "The very same."

Ana-Maria left Jack's rooms in haste, leaving Jack utterly alone to the black confines of his mind. His cabin door opened again, and Jack paid it no mind, at least he didn't until a soft voice broke through his raging thoughts.

"Jack, ye can't jest leave like this."

He looked up into Starr's angry eyes. She was mad at him, that wasn't hard to see, she kept worrying her hands and shaking her head, her attitude unlike anything he'd seen from her before.

"I gave you what you wanted, Starr, go back to your Roiben."

She laughed, the sound bitter and untamed, "And ye know what I want?" she sneered at him, "Can ye tell me what I want, cause I don't know!"

"Why are you here?" he asked slowly, "Can't you end this torment?"

"I torment ye!" she shrieked then she placed a hand to her forehead, "I torment ye? What do ye think ye do to me, Jack Sparrow?"

Jack smiled darkly, "I do something to you?" He stood and moved dangerously toward her, "I suppose you're here to tell me you can't live without me, that without me you can't breathe."

"Don't be stupid," Starr snapped, "I'm not here to tell you any such thing."

"Then why are you here?"

Starr shook her head and backed out the door, "If I knew, Jack, I wouldn't be here." that said Starr disappeared. Jack sank down onto his bed and glared heatedly at the ceiling before jumping up and following Starr's retreat, she had wanted to say something and he had been a bastard towards her, not letting her say what she wanted to say, he'd find her and hear her out…if she wanted him to hear her.

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A/N- Yeah, two chapters more Does happy dance ok, next chapter won't take so long to be posted, just tell me what you think of this one and I'll be happy. 


	10. Chapter Nine: This is love?

A/N- Well, one chapter left, I've come up with a title to the sequel: Demon's Kiss. It's not about demons or anything- I'll give a summary next chapter, thnx for those that review, I really like reading them, and I will be off to visit Augsburg shortly…more prison time (YAY!) anywho- enjoy these last couple chapters and please, please review!

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Chapter Nine: This is love?

He found her a few paces away from the gulf, throwing things at a wall at the end of an alley.

He approached with caution.

"Starr-"

"Leave me alone!" she growled, than with less conviction; "Go Back to yer ship."

She was crying. The legendary Starr Auroras, was crying over him, over something he'd done. "Starr, let me start by-"

She whirled on him, "Jack Sparrow, haven't ye done enough damage?" she took a breath, 'Go away, I have no need of ye."

He stood back, his arms folded over his chest, "Spoken like true royalty, but I'm not going," he stepped forward, and Starr stepped back.

"Go back to the Pearl, Jack, go back to where yer needed."

His voice was pleading: "I think I'm in love with you, Starr, so tell me, is this love?"

"Ye wouldn't know love if it was standing right in front of ye!"

"Is this love?" he asked again, steering clear of arguments.

"No," she stated coolly, "love is where the very thought of a person makes yer blood boil, it's where ye want someone so much it hurts and ye'll never admit it. It's when hate becomes obsession.

"Love is hate, hate is love. When yer in love, ye know because ye can't think right, ye can't live without them. Love is pain."

Jack stopped.

"Then I've been in love with you for a long time."

"Lust." she whispered, "That's different."

"No, Starr, I've been to the brink of Hell with your name on my lips. I've been so angry that I wanted to kill you, hurt you, do to you as you did to me. I've been in real pain over you; so I say again: I love you ."

"We're of two worlds, Jack." the fight had faded from her eyes and her voice.

Jack moved towards her and put a hand over her heart. "I live here, whether you want me or not, I live here forever."

Starr broke.

Suddenly Starr was in his arms. Her lips were against his and she felt more alive than she had in years, she never wanted to leave. Not ever.

She pulled away, asking breathlessly: "Have I thanked ye yet?"

"For what?" had his voice always been that hoarse?

"Avenging me brother."

"No, but I think you have the rest of our lives for that."

Jack bent his head and kissed her long and hard. His hands began to explore the contours of her body and hers did the same on him.

Finally several wrongs had been righted. Finally their souls were breaking loose.

* * *

A/N- Ok! Yes, one more chapter: the epilogue, then sequel starts: Demon's Kiss. Please review, I'm begging down on my knees in my $900 dollar suit again… 


	11. This is Me

A/N- Here you go, the epilogue, then I'm done with this story, all done, well a sequel and a third- so a trilogy? Meh, on to the end, and please review, please!

* * *

-This is Me-

My name is Starr.

Where I live you can breath the free air.

Where I sleep is somewhere between Heaven and Hell.

Where I belong has finally been decided; I belong here, between the Roiben and Jack.

The Rogue is dead. Payment due for my brother, a judgment long denied.

I _am_ still a thief.

I am _not_ a pirate.

I have become a murderer: most of all…I am The Rogue.

I will train Kam as my replacement.

Why?

Because there are always marauders after the black throne, and if I am ever captured…I need to be

assured that I won't be killed upon my return.

As of now, I leave Kam in charge of the Roiben till my return.

A ghost has saved me. He has awakened me- and in nine month's time…I will indulge him with secret hidden in my womb.

When next you see me be wary, The Rogue is not easily played.

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A/N- K. as I promised, the summary for Demon's Kiss:

Demora Sparrow is as shady as a pirate captain can get and not be fully evil. Her father is retired from the looting game and her mother keeps court with a assembly of criminals. Demora has traveled the seven seas pillaging and looting to her heart's content, but even she is lacking something, even she feels at an end- hopelessly lost. But when she comes to find that what she was waiting for might be more than gold, will she run?- or will she stay to wait out the demon's kiss?


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